Psalms 51:1

 Psalms 51:1 says,To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.  After a long introduction, where David said this was written after Nathan pointed out David's sin with Bathsheba, verse one says, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.  David asked God to have mercy on him and according to God's great mercy to blot out his transgressions.  Faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, made possible by the great mercy of God is the only way to salvation, and we must ask for Him to blot out our transgressions by putting our faith in Jesus Christ.  There is no other way to salvation, and it is because of God's mercy in spite of our transgressions.  We never merit or earn salvation.  Verse two adds, Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  David asked God to throughly wash him and cleanse him from his sin with Bathsheba.  As Christians, God has thoroughly washed us clean of all our sins by His blood shed on the cross, but if we give in to sin once more we still need to acknowledge it and ask God's forgiveness.  Verse three declares, For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.  David acknowledged his sins and transgressions before God, and so must we if we are to be forgiven for them.  We can never just ignore our sins and believe that God has to forgive them whether we acknowledge them or not.  Salvation is not a license to sin because we know that God has already forgiven us.  Verse four adds, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.  David said that it was against God alone that he had sinned, and that God was justified in His judgment of David.  Even if we are just angry at our neighbor as followers of Christ, or whatever the thought or action may be that is not in accordance with God's word, our ultimate sin is against God because we have not obeyed Him.  Verse five continues, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.  David said he was born in iniquity.  I believe that more accurate statement would be that he was born with free will that could lead him to sin.  David was not guilty of sin because of his birth, but because of the choices he knowingly made, and so is every person ever born.  Verse six states, Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.  David said God wanted truth in the hidden parts of man, in their heart and mind.  If we have not accepted God's truth in our heart and mind, it is impossible to truly follow His will for our life.  Verse seven adds, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  David said that when God washed him that he would be whiter than snow.  When we are washed in the blood of Christ, we are made spiritually clean, without any mark of sin left on us.  Verse eight declares, Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.  David asked that God would make him hear joy and gladness.  We need that same joy and gladness in our life today if we are Christians.  As David said, even our broken bones, or those things that might be physically wrong with us, should rejoice.   Even in times of trouble we are to rejoice in the Lord if we are truly followers of Christ.  Verse nine adds, Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.  David asked God to no longer look on His sins and to blot out his iniquities.  As Christians, God has already done this for us.  He does not look back at forgiven sins, and neither should we.

Psalms 50:12

 Psalms 50:12 says, If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.  God said that if He were hungry He would not tell people this, because they had nothing to offer Him that was not already His.  Of course, this does not mean that at times God is hungry,  but was only a hypothetical statement of if He were.  No matter what we give to God today, it is already His.  Verse thirteen adds, Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?  God asked if the people of Israel thought God was actually going to eat the things offered to Him on the altar.  We need to understand that God does not use our tithes and offerings to satisfy His own needs.  We offer them to show Him our obedience to Him and to do our part in carrying out His work.  Verse fourteen states, Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:  David called on the people of Israel to offer thanksgiving to God, at all times I believe, and to pay, or fulfill, their vows. As followers of Christ, we should always be faithful to God and fulfill our vows to Him.  We are His at all times, and should live in obedience to that fact.  Verse fifteen adds, And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.  David said God told the people of Israel to call on Him in the day of trouble and He would deliver them.  We need to understand that as Christians there will always be the possibility of trouble in our lives, but also that God has already delivered us from them forever.  Verse sixteen asks, But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?  God asked the wicked why they declared His statutes and proclaimed His covenant when they didn't believe it.  This applies today to those who have a hypocritical worship of God.  They do and say the right things, but they really do not believe in God in their heart.  Verse seventeen adds, Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.  God said these hypocritical worshippers really hated His instruction and cast off His word.  Too many people today come to worship God on Sunday and then do not allow Him to guide them the rest of the week.  We must be obedient to God and live by His instruction continually as followers of Christ.  Verse eighteen continues, When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.  God said that instead of condemning those that broke His laws that the people of Israel had started joining them in doing so.  We cannot overlook or join in the actions of those who go against the teachings of God.  Verse nineteen declares, Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.  God said that the people of Israel had begun to speak evil and lies.  Too often today those who profess to believe in God speak the evil ideas of the world and speak lies about God.  Verse twenty adds, Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.  God said not only did they speak evil and lies about Him, but they did the same against their fellow Israelites, even their own brother.  We as Christians should never be guilty of doing this.  We are called on to share the gospel and God's word with the world, and need to be careful that we do not begin to proclaim the lies of the world instead.  Verse twenty-one says, These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.  God said that He had allowed the people of Israel to do this, but that now He was going to reprove them and set them straight.  Since God gives us free will, even as Christians, He may allow us to do things that are not in accordance with His word or His will, but He will reprove us and one day He will set us straight if we do.  Verse twenty-two adds, Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.  God called on the people of Israel to consider what they were doing before He had to tear them apart and they were left with no one to deliver them from the evil of the world.  We need consider our relationship with God before it is too late to accept His deliverance through faith in Jesus Christ.  There is no other Deliverer but Him.  Verse twenty-three states, Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.  God said that those who sincerely worshipped Him would be shown His salvation.  God has shown us His salvation through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it up to each individual to either accept or reject God's salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Psalms 50:1

Psalms 50:1 says, This is not identified as a psalm of David, but of Asaph, who Matthew Henry says was the chief musician, then verse one says, The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.  Asaph said that the mighty God, the LORD, had spoken.  God has always spoken to His people, but too often they have not listened.  If we can truly comprehend how mighty God is, then we should never fail to listen to Him as Christians.  Verse two adds, Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.  Out of Zion, the mountain of God, His beauty shined forth in the world.  Out of faith in Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, God's beauty shines forth today.  Verse three declares, Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.  The people of Israel who had become hypocritical were warned that God's judgment was coming like a fire to destroy all who did not put their faith in Him.  One day, all those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will be sent away into the everlasting fires of hell.  Verse four adds, He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. The people of Israel were told that God would call to earth from heaven above to judge His people.  One day, God is going to judge all people, and the only way to forgiveness is through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse five states, Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.  God called on the saints, those who had entered into a covenant relationship with Him and had tried to live true to it, to be gathered together.  We as Christians gather together today to worship and praise God, and we need to make sure that we do so in accordance with His guidance.  What we sacrifice to God is our self will.  Verse six adds, And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.  We are told that the heavens will declare the righteousness of God, and that God is the judge of Himself.  No one is qualified to judge God but God Himself.   Verse seven declares, Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.  The people of Israel were called on to hear God, Who they called their God, and were told that He would judge them.  As Christians, we must be true to our faith in God, but He is ultimately the One Who will judge whether we have been or not.  Verse eight adds, I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.  God's judgment of the people of Israel as having broken their covenant with Him was not in their not offering sacrifices, but in their attitude behind doing so.  We may go through all the motions to show ourselves to be Christians, but if we do not truly put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, it will do us no good.  Verse nine continues, I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.  God said He had no need for their cattle or goats.  They all belonged to Him anyway.   There is nothing that we can offer God that is not already His, except for ourselves.  Though we may be His by creation, He gives us the choice of whether or not to be His spiritually.  Verse ten says, For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.  As just stated, since everything belongs to God already, He really needs nothing from us.  Sacrifices and offerings were just signs of obedience to Him.  Verse eleven adds, I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. God knows that it is all His, and so should we.

 

Psalms 49:11

 Psalms 49:11 says, Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. David said that those who put their faith in their wealth believed that it would last forever.   We may have great wealth in the world today and want to believe that it will last forever, but once we die, we retain none of our earthly wealth.  Verse twelve adds, Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.  David reminded them that in death the were no better than the beasts, except that people have a soul which lives forever, either with God as followers of Christ or separated from Him if one is not.  Verse thirteen continues, This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.  David said putting faith in material things instead of God was the folly of those who did so.  It still is today.  Verse fourteen states, Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.  David said that in death those who believed in riches over God would be no better than sheep that had died, and that the upright would have dominion over them.   No matter how rich and powerful a person may be today, after they die, the upright, those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, shall have dominion over them.  Verse fifteen adds, But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. David said God would redeem his soul from the grave, not because of his earthly status, but because of his faith in God.   We as Christians can be certain that God will redeem us from the grave.  Verse sixteen says, Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;  David basically was saying that we do not need to be afraid of the rich and powerful.  Their time to rule is limited to this world.  We don't need to fear and certainly don't need to envy them.  Verse seventeen adds, For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.  What David said then always has and always will be true.   After we die, we will take nothing of this world with us.  Verse eighteeen continues, Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.  David said that while a person who put his faith in himself and his riches might live what he thought was a blessed life, that it ended with his death.  We cannot put our faith in the things of this world and believe that they will be with us forever.  Verse nineteen declares, He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.  David said such people would go to the grave and never see the light.  Now, the soul of each individual lives on, but if they would live on in the light, they mist put their faith in Jesus Christ in order to live in the light.  Verse twenty concludes,  Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.  David said that people who lived in honor without putting their faith in God were no better than the beasts.  Earthly fame and honor can never bring anyone everlasting victory.  Only faith in God can.

Psalms 49:1

 Psalms 49:1 says,To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.  There is the introduction, then verse one says, Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:  David called on all the people to hear what he had to say.   We today must call on all the people that we come in contact with to hear when we witness for God.  Verse two adds, Both low and high, rich and poor, together. David did not distinguish between people because of their status, but called on all to hear.  We likewise cannot distinguish between people today because of their status in the world.  We must be willing to witness to everyone about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Verse three continues, My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.  When David said he would speak of wisdom, it was not his wisdom but God's that he referred to, and the understanding that his heart meditated on was the understanding of Who God is.  We can only speak of the wisdom of God and not our own wisdom as followers of Christ, and we most continually meditate on our understanding of Who God is, and we will still never understand everything about God.  Verse four states, I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.  David said he would listen to the parables about God.  He also said that he would make the dark sayings, the things about God that people had a hard time understanding, easier for them to understand.  We today must listen to the parables of God and make them easily understood by the world.  Verse five adds, Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?  David asked why he should fear the days of evil when his enemies were all around him attempting to cause him to fall.  We as Christians have no need to fear the days of evil nor those who attempt to get us to fall, because we are already forever victorious through our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Verse six declares, They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;  Then verse seven adds, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:  David addressed those who trusted in their wealth, and there are many people today who trust in their wealth and not in God.  David said that their wealth could not redeem their brother nor give God a ransom for him.  We can never buy the redemption of anyone, but can only lead them to Jesus Christ Who can.  Verse eight continues, (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)  David stated that the redemption of the soul was precious and it lasts forever.  We need to acknowledge that the redemption of every soul is precious and forever.  This includes even those who are our enemies.  Verse nine concludes, That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.  As David said, those who are redeemed by Christ shall live with God forever and not see the corruption of the world anymore when they are called home to heaven.  Verse ten says, For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.  David said the wise, those who put their faith in Christ, and the foolish, those who don't, would both die and leave everything they owned in this world to others.  This will never change. 

Psalms 48:1

 Psalms 48:1 says, A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah.  After the introduction, verse one says, Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.  As David said, great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in His city.  David may have written this about Jerusalem, but wherever we are gathered today as Christians should be God's place.  Verse two adds, Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.  David said that God's people were a joy to the whole earth, and we should be today.  If it were not for Christians, think of how bad the world would be, and because of this, we should live in such a way that we bring joy to all those around us.  Verse three continues, God is known in her palaces for a refuge.  David said that God was known as a place of refuge to the people of Israel, and especially in Jerusalem.  As followers of Christ, God should always be our place of refuge.  We should put our faith in Christ alone.  Verse four states, For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.  David said that those other countries around Israel feared them, not because of their great power, but because of the great power of their God.  I believe that too often the world today just ignores God and His people, Christians, because too often we don't live in such a way as to show the true power of God to the world.  Verse five adds, They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.  David said that when the other nations saw the power of God at work in Israel that they marvelled, were troubled, and ran away.  When we live in obedience to God, the world should know that there is something about us that can never be defeated.  Verse six continues, Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.  David said that those around Israel were filled with fear and pain.  This was not because of the great military might of Israel, but because of the great might of their God.  Though as Christians we might not have much earthly power, we do have the power of God with us, and the people of the world should see this in our lives.   Verse seven concludes, Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.  David said that with just the wind that God defeated the ships of Tarshish.  No matter how powerful the weapons of the world are today, God can defeat them with just His word.  Verse eight declares, As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.  David said as the people of Israel had heard of the power of God in the past that they had also seen it in their lives and that God would establish His city forever.  We cannot not just look at the works of God in the past, but must experience His work in the world and especially in our lives today as followers of Christ, knowing that He will establish His city forever one day.  Verse nine adds, We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.  We like David, must acknowledge the lovingkindness of God, no matter what is going on in the world.  Verse ten says, According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.  David said because of God's name and His righteousness that He should be praised to the end of the earth, and one day He will be.  Verse eleven adds, Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.  David called on the people of Israel to be glad because of God's judgments.  If we are living by faith in Jesus Christ today, we should be thankful for His judgments and rejoice in them.  Verse twelve states, Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.  David said that the people of God should go around Zion proclaiming His goodness.  Verse thirteen adds, Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.  David said that the people of Israel should remember God's great work and tell it to the generations following.  This is also our responsibility today, to teach the next generations about God and His goodness.  We must first and foremost share the gospel of Christ with them.  Verse fourteen declares, For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.  We like David must acknowledge that God is our God forever and ever and that He will be our guide for as long as we live.

Psalms 47:1

 Psalms 47:1 says, To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.  There is the introduction, then verse one says, O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. David called on the people of Israel to shout praises to God while clapping their hands.  We today need to joyously worship God, no matter how much or how little we are demonstrative, and we should never judge others for how much or how little they are.  Verse two adds, For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.  Matthew Henry says this means that God is the God of infinite majesty.  I don't believe it means that He is a terror to be feared, unless someone continues to reject His salvation until it is to late.  Verse three states, He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.  David said God would subdue the other nations under Israel.  We know that they did when the people of Israel were obedient to Him, and as long as we as followers of Christ continue to be faithful to God, one day all our enemies will be defeated.  Verse four adds, He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.  As David said,  God will choose our inheritance for us.  There is never a need to feel that someone is getting more than they deserve from God.  God is the One Who chooses our inheritance.  Verse five declares, God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.  Jesus Christ went up to heaven, and one day He is going to return to the sound of the trumpet.  Verse six adds, Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.  David called on the people of Israel to sing praises to God, not just when things are going well, but at all times.  Too often, we wait until something good happens in our life before we sing praises to God.  Instead, we should always sing His praises, maybe even more in bad times than in good.  Verse seven continues, For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.  David called on the people of Israel to sing praises to God with the understanding that He is the King of the universe.  If we truly understand Who God is, there should never be a time when we don't praise Him.  Verse eight says, God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.  David said that even though they may not acknowledge it, God still reigns over the heathen.  Just because someone claims that there is no God doesn't change the fact that there is and that they will on day realize this fact.  Verse nine adds, The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.  David said that God's people were gathered together, because the earth belongs to Him, and therefore He should be greatly exalted.  As Christians, we should always greatly exalt the goodness of God.  He loves us enough that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins, and if we accept His salvation, then we should always greatly exalt Him.